


Darkness Consumes

by kiwifae



Category: A Date With Markiplier - Fandom, MarkiplierTV, Who Killed Markiplier
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, but I swear it'll be nice once the first act is done, uhhhh somewhat long and drags in the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-01-23 21:44:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12517228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwifae/pseuds/kiwifae
Summary: ❝ You should be scared of me. . . ❞What was meant to be a reunion turns into a tragedy once a beloved friend is murdered. That tragedy soon turns into something much worse as beloved friends drop like flies, as well as another's sanity. Marilyn Abraham is the one who sticks to the end, witnessing everything fall apart around her, she becomes the sole witness to the creation of Dark and Wilford.Fast forward several years later, on her descendant’s 21st birthday, the nightmare continues; Valentina must endure the harassment of both the Egos and a new monster that lurks in the dark.note; this story will be based heavily on headcanons, but will show certain things that Mark mentioned in his live stream!





	1. before you read

**I'm putting the story into my own vision, as I thought it would turn out, because who** **_doesn't_ ** **like doing that in a story? I do not claim to own any of Mark's egos or him, as he is a real person and his egos are creations from his imagination; they are fictional. I also do not claim** **Jackspeticeye** **or Anti, as Jack is also real and his egos are part of his own imagination as well! Any other characters that aren't real people are my own characters that I have created myself.**

**Things might be a bit confusing, as I decided I would write this stuff as soon as the videos came out, but I was stuck with writer's block for so long. I honestly hope the fandom enjoys it because I know I will certainly enjoy writing this story.**

**This is a mashup between** ** MarkiplierTV ** **,** ** A Date With Markiplier ** **, and** ** Who Killed Markiplier. **

 


	2. part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bear with me this loooong and dragged out part one..

As suspected, the manor was huge – she honestly shouldn't have been surprised though, Mark was an amazing friend but he always seemed to... buy the biggest things in life. She swore it was to fit that huge ego of his, but every time she even thought or suggested it, she felt terrible for even assuming it. Marilyn smiled to herself as she got out of the taxi, watching as she saw two other people enter the manor. As quickly as she could, she grabbed her purse before giving a tip to the driver and thanking him for the long drive. She was going to be living in this city soon enough, since her close friend Damien had decided to appoint her as his most trusted official.

The office was a bit stuffy, but she knew she'd get used to it. Besides, Damien would be there with her and if that didn't brighten her day, well... then what couldn't?

Marilyn trudged up to the manor, only to see one other man arrive. He was dressed up so nicely, almost resembled Markiplier and Damien in a way, but she doubted that they resembled that much. She walked up to him, about to greet him before he turned and smiled at her, “Ohh, bully! And here I thought I was gonna be the last guest to arrive!” He did a bow, which in return made her giggle softly, “My friends call me the Colonel. You’re welcome to do the same, should it please you. But, uh... after you.” He gestured towards the door, a kind remark – very gentleman-like.

“My name is Marilyn, it's so nice to meet you, Colonel. I wasn’t expecting to… really meet anyone else. Mark rarely makes time for old friends…” She frowned, a feeling of dread filling up inside her before she shook her head and smiled, “Never mind that, I’m so sorry. I’ll hope to see you inside, right? It’d be no fun without someone so kind inside.” The young woman offered a smile before entering the manor and, as expected, it was roomy and lively. Her eyes widened when she saw Damien, a happy smile spreading across her peachy, freckled face before being stopped by the butler.

“Bonjour! Welcome to Markiplier Manor. Your invitation, please?” Staring at him a bit dumbly, she slowly went for her pockets before producing the letter that Mark had sent her; she was more interested in seeing Damien that she had no idea what the man had said before she quickly rushed over to her best friend, who seemed to be talking to someone else – but that was quickly put off as soon as his eyes set on her. He even smiled, which warmed up her heart.

“There you are, old friend! How are you settling into the new office?”

“Well, you know–” She finally spoke up, a bit squeaky since she was rarely getting a word in, “but it’s enjoyable. Definitely better than the job I was working at…” Store manager at some retail store, ugh, never again! She continued to smile, that sort of dizzy daydream smile that always appeared on her whenever she saw or was around her friend. Damien seemed to be having that same sort of smile as well.

“I know it’ll take some getting used to, but there’s no one I would rather have alongside me to protect this amazing city of ours.” Her heart fluttered at that and she smiled, baby blues softening before he grinned, “I’ll see you at the table soon, but… do try not to rob me blind again. We’ll catch up.” She nodded slowly, watching as he walked past her and off towards some other unknown room in the huge manor. Deciding to do the same, she took in a deep breath and decided to move forward, hoping to find Mark or someone else that she possibly knew. Once she turned the corner, she found herself staring at the chef – someone new, of course, but she was hungry. “Excuse me, but uh–”

“If you’re looking for the hors d’oeuvres, I’ll get them when I’m good and ready!”  _ Wow, he’s a bit… rude.  _ Marilyn furrowed her eyebrows, trying to follow after him but once again, he turned to her, “And  _ stay out of my kitchen! _ ” She jumped back with a yelp, heart skyrocketing as she stared in shock. Suddenly, she heard the butler’s sharp “ _ Now, now! _ ” before turning to see him. “Let’s not be rude to our  _ guest _ . I’m so sorry about that.”

The young woman continued to stare at him, but decided to walk away from the chef… besides, she could see the champagne from where she stood and she was hoping that a glass for her. Once she was close enough, a glass was given to her, “Here’s your champagne… and enjoy your evening.” A wide grin spread across her face as she took a sip of the alcoholic beverage before moving towards the staircase; lo-and-behold, there Mark was, coming down from the stairs with his signature goofy smile and ruffled hair. Though, the outfit was being a bit  _ too out there _ .

“Welcome, welcome, one and all!” He shouted cheerfully, though she was honestly too busy staring at her best friend to even notice if others were around, “My name is Markiplier. Thank you for joining me on this auspicious evening! So good to be surrounded by such close and trusted friends.” He took a step down, gesturing towards the others in the room and even at Marilyn before he continued. “Now, this evening, it’s not all about the poker. It’s not all about me. It’s about you! So drink up and be merry. Life is for the living! And who knows? I could be  _ dead _  tomorrow!” Markiplier started laughing, making her jump in surprise, but decided to ignore the weird sensation that crept over her as she downed her drink and was given another shortly after. Mark walked up to her and smiled, taking her by the hand and shaking it before letting out a softer laugh, “It’s good to finally see you again, Marilyn. I’m hoping you’ll visit me, even with that job our friend Damien gave you.”

“Of course, Mark! Why wouldn’t I take time to visit an old friend? I know I’ve been busy, but now that I’m living closer, I’ll visit as much as I can, alright?” She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, a gesture she always did for him and him alone – they were such good friends and she was so happy that even after  _ all these years _ , he still remembered her. He nodded slightly before moving on to the next guest, greeting each one happily and excitedly as he had with her. It must have been nice to see such old and good friends, but she was confused as to why he had invited them all here. If it wasn’t for the poker or himself, why did he invite them here? Just to meet up? Was he… dare she think it,  _ lonely _ ? Did fame really make some people like that?

Once she was done with her second drink, the butler came back and offered her another drink– might as well, since she’d have to soon end up at the poker table, beating every single one of her friend’s asses… it would be an amazing night. Once she had downed more than enough drinks, they began their poker game.

With the alcohol taking its effect, Marilyn ended up becoming way more disastrous, in a sense. It had been so long since she had gotten even a bit tipsy that she was enjoying herself way too much. Poker ended, but the fun only just began. Of course, things didn’t get extremely interesting until she found herself making out with Damien, his lips against hers as they battled for dominance. It was perfectly blissful the way they moved, the way her friend’s hands were on her waist and letting out soft groans every time she moved a certain way to get more comfortable, “Marilyn, please– you know we, we shouldn’t…” Another soft groan and the seat creaked; he had lifted her up and moved so that she was beneath him, his lips suddenly on her neck and gently nipping at the tender flesh.

Marilyn moaned, arching her back and letting out a low whine before he fit himself between her legs and gently rolled his hips forward.  _ Yes _ , this is what she wanted –  _ needed _ , in fact – no one else could give her this, it had been so long since they had done this… she was eager to find out how well Damien had grew, if he was experienced… God, with how he was moving, she hoped he had more experience. She was lifted up, his lips pressing against her ear as he moved up the stairs, “Darling, I’ll make you feel good, just like old times… remember? Because I certainly do…” A deep rumble of a laugh came from him, making the sandy blonde whimper in return – God, she needed him  _ now _ . Thin fingers moved through slicked back hair as soon as they were upstairs, however her back was pressed against the wall before they even got to her bedroom. Before she could ask what was happening, lips were upon her own once more, hips rolling hungrily against her own before she heard the faint sound of a zipper being unzipped.

Suddenly, he was taking her to her room and her back was pressed against the sheets. Damien’s suit was rumpled and so was her own clothes, but there wasn’t enough time to admire it because soon after, clothes were quickly discarded and her friend was concentrating on trying to unhook her bra. She let out a laugh, thought it was muffled due to her face being buried in the crook of his neck, “C’mon, don’t tell me you forgot how to work a stupid bra?”

“It’s been a while, shush.”

She felt the bra finally unhook and she quickly tossed it aside before bringing Damien into a passionate kiss while her fingers traced over his jawline and brushed against stubble. Nothing was more perfect than this, even during their time in university, the older man hadn’t been this needy or desperate. The alcohol still didn’t prepare her for the stretch that his manhood would make, nor for the sudden quick thrusts and groans that came from above. He grabbed onto her hips, grunting softly as he rolled his own against her before peppering kisses along her body. Teeth grazed against sensitive flesh, lips hooking onto one of her nipples and sucking gently – she threw her head back and cried out, pulling on the blankets beneath her before chewing on her bottom lip, “D–Damien!”

The next day, Marilyn woke up to the loud ring of the alarm clock, covered in warm blankets but feeling the effects from last night. She sat up slowly, groaning at the dull ache within her core as she tried to move  – she could feel the hangover  _ and _  her entire body ache, slowly remembering the events that occurred in this very room. Damien was nowhere to be seen, as per usual… he was always one to wake early. Deciding that she needed to soak in the bath for a bit, she went into the bathroom and did just that; she needed to relax and hopefully get rid of the bugging ache that continued to throb. Once she decided that the bath was over with, she got out and dried off; her hair was wet but she decided to put it in a bun – honestly, it’s what made it wavy and she enjoyed it when her hair dried on its own.

White t-shirt, black jeans, and a pair of Cuban heeled boots and she was out of the bedroom and nearly bumped into the butler, “Oh, hey–” He offered her a glass, mentioning something about cocaine that instantly made her refuse, “No, thanks, honestly. The bath I took was more than enough, I think… I’ll get pickle juice instead…” She watched him go, eyes only breaking apart from the formally dressed man once they saw the Mayor. That warm, fuzzy feeling washed over her like it had last night, walking towards him before he finally noticed her.

“There’s our little monster! You really knocked ‘em dead last night, darling. I… haven’t seen you go  _ that _  wild since our days at university.” He took her by the hand and placed a kiss on her cheek before speaking into her ear gently, “Good to let the beast out every once in awhile, eh, old friend?” They pulled away from each other, but they still continued to hold hands. Though, suddenly, Damien frowned and grew serious. “Then again, I’m– I’m not exactly sure as to what we’re supposed to be celebrating here… I mean, it’s  _ good _  to have the gang back together, but out of the blue like this seems…”  _ Insane?  _ Marilyn didn’t quite know why Mark had invited them all here, she was even asking herself that  _ same exact question _  last night while she watched her friend greet the other guests – even watched him at the poker table. “Anyway, now is not the time to become conspiratorial. Life is ours to choose as I always say… I have some work to finish, but I’ll meet you at breakfast.” He flashed her a dazzling smile before leaning in and pressing a couple of quick kisses to her lips that she seemingly enjoyed and returned.

Though Damien was her close friend, Marilyn was thankful that she would have time to  _ explore _  the rest of the house. Mark should have known that a woman like her would have become instantly curious in such a big place – she had always been adventurous in their younger years, that’s how she met Damien and how they forged their own relationship. She quickly walked down the stairs, deciding to turn her attention to the odd thing in front of her for a couple of minutes before turning towards the iron suit. Curiosity bubbled inside of her, tempted to put on the helmet… but what would any of the guests say if they saw a young woman wearing something like that? They’d think she was insane until Mark cleared up that she was just silly. A giggle was released, giddiness taking over until she turned around and found a horrendous scene before her.

_ Mark’s body. _

A scream erupted from the woman, just in time for lightning to flash, eyes wide in fear as she took a step back, “Damien!” She cried out, hoping that the man would be in here at any moment… but instead, the man he had been talking to last night came in and cried out the obvious. One by one, people came in and cried out murder, each time summoning forth lightning and thunder. Marilyn jumped and the first man who arrived grabbed the front of her shirt, staring intently into hers as he sneered at her.

“What the hell happened here?! Who’s in charge around here? Trick question –  _ that guy _ . And he’s dead now, which makes  _ me _  in charge! So you better listen up quick,  _ bucko _ . Case you haven’t been paying attention, there’s been a killin’.  _ And you’re my prime suspect! _ ” Marilyn pushed him away, offended that he would even assume that she had killed her best friend. He took a step toward her, pointing while continuing to speak, “So you better get to explaining right quick as to the  _ what, where, when, and why _  you happen to be here upon this man’s death!”

“ _ Sir _ , the body is cold… he’s been dead a while.”

“A likely story.” The man chuckled before pausing, “That I happen to believe completely. All right, you’re off the hook for now, but I’m a detective–”

“Oh yeah? Prove that you’re a real  _ dick _ !” Marilyn almost snorted at the word, but remembered the situation she was in… besides, it would have been immature of her to do that, especially with her best friend’s body a foot or so away from her. She shook her head and stared at the badge that was produced, only to see a pile of pictures end up slipping from the folds.  _ Holy shit… _

He began folding them back up, seeming to avoid eye contact. “Those are my old partners, don’t ask me about them– fine! I’ll tell you. Each of them died. Each death more tragic than the last! A few of them even died in ironically hilarious ways.” She glanced to the chef, wondering if this was… even  _ true _ . But the detective continued to speak, even when no one seemed to really care, “Which made it even more tragic! But hey, you look like you’re up to the task. You’re my  _ new _  partner.”

She shook her head, taking a step back, “No way–!” He even  _ laughed _ .

“That’s what all my old partners used to say. Right before they died.”  _ Oh sweet Jesus, this was going to be  _ horrible, especially if he wasn’t listening to her. He even had the audacity to ask for the case he needed behind her and began to set up. Shortly after the  **crime scene**  was made, Damien walked in, confusion plastered over his face as he looked around.

“What the hell happened here?”

“I… Damien, listen–” She stuttered, trying to find the right words without tearing up, but before she could muster up the courage to tell him, he was told by the detective and the chef. He looked even more confused, asking who would do such a thing – the twenty-three year old decided that she would let the others tell him besides her, but she was ready to comfort him at any moment. She could see that he was still lost, looking to her before he turned away, muttering something about having to tell the Colonel, “Damien, wait–”

“Hold on, missy, we need to talk about something. Judging by his body temperature, I’d say he was killed around 1:30am… what were  _ you _  doing at that time?”

Marilyn’s cheeks grew hot, remembering how Damien and her went up to her room… “We– I, I mean…  _ I _  was sleeping. Alcohol usually makes me extremely tired.” She chewed on her bottom lip nervously, staring at the detective before he nodded.  _ Thank God, he fell for it _ . He mentioned he needed to make more tests, so he told her to ask questions – apparently they needed to needed evidence about everyone else. Marilyn moved from the scene and decided to go towards the yelling, already hearing Damien shouting.  _ What was he doing? _

“Flippant?! I’m taking this matter very seriously–!”

“Oh, don’t give me that horseshit! I know you  _ hated _  him, but, goddamnit, he  _ reached out to you _ !” She frowned, leaned against the door and trying to listen better, though she couldn’t really hear the Colonel speak, “Well, I want you to  _ care _ !”

“Just because I’m not weeping like a child doesn’t mean that I don’t care.”

“I can’t  _ believe  _ you…” He pointed his cane at what she guessed was the Colonel, “You come find me when you pull your head out of your ass!” Before she could pull away, Damien had turned around and caught her, staring at her intently – the rage in his eyes was evident and she was regretting even eavesdropping now. The last time he had gotten this angry was…  _ so long ago _ . She tried apologizing, but he left the room with a small grunt and left her there. Honestly, the feeling that flooded her felt  _ horrible _ . She felt horrible. Frowning, she decided to move on and enter the room, hearing the Colonel shout out Damien before seeing that it was her.

“Ah! Good to see you again! You were quite the rapscallion at last night’s festivities!” Chewing on her bottom lip, she stopped in front of the Colonel before rubbing at her arm nervously. By the look on his face, he knew why she was there, so he took in a deep breath and spoke, “But you’re probably here to help the  _ detective _  with his  _ ‘investigation of murder’.  _ Anyway, I’ll  _ help _  you! I’ll tell you what happened to our dear friend Mark.” He then began to mockingly insult Mark, going on about  _ buying friends  _ and having more than  _ one _  staircase in his house. It took everything to keep Marilyn from speaking out and scolding him, but she kept quiet and allowed the man to continue. “And that’s what happened! Well, probably, anyway. Not go on and investigate the entire house, go on! I’ll be here when you’re done.”

She was dismissed, not able to really question him since she was too shocked to really remember what to ask… the way he acted about Mark dumbfounded her into silence. Did he really think that illy of their friend? Finally being able to move herself from her paralyzed state, she left the room before nearly knocking into the butler, who urged her to follow him.

Honestly, the next few minutes felt like hours as he spoke to her and talked about knowing every crook and nanny of the manor, only to be dragged down into the wine cellar and scared shitless when he cried over a broken bottle. However, she did find out the names of the detective and the Colonel – William and Abe. Marilyn couldn’t help but rush out of the cellar, quickly running into the kitchen before seeing the chef and instantly regretting her choice; he had told her not to come in here and she did the exact opposite now. He turned to her, glaring and pointing his knife directly at her, “I thought I told you to stay out of my kitchen!” Out came her stuttering, apologies mixed in with how Abe was forcing her to help with the investigation – but she couldn’t honest think with that knife waving in front of her like he was tempted to stab her. She decided to leave as quickly as possible, apologizing a few more times before going outside to clear her mind.

As soon as the door had opened, the smell of freshly mown grass filled her senses. The birds were chirping, the sun was out, and she could hear the small trickle of a water fountain… or maybe it was the pool? She noticed it last night but didn’t even think to go in for a dip. She stopped in front of the small pool of water, sitting on one of the stones before letting her fingers dip into the clear, cool water. Despite the manor being too big, Mark did seem to have a nice taste in exterior design and the gardening was kept up to par, it seemed. She could see a few rose bushes and even stood up to go look at them. Their brightly colored red petals lured her in and she could smell the sweet aroma coming from them – absolutely gorgeous. Marilyn sighed softly before she felt a pair of hands touch her hips and bring her closer to whoever had grabbed her.

“The roses are just as beautiful as you, Marilyn…”  _ Damien _ . He muttered the words softly into her ear, pressing soft kisses there before traveling to her neck. She let out soft giggles, shaking her head and turning to gently push at Damien, “I’m being serious, darling. Why would I lie?” He laughed along with her, gently peppering kisses against her neck, ear, and forehead before bringing her into a kiss.

She pulled away, cupping his cheek before raising an eyebrow, “I hope you know that we won’t be able to do this at the office, right?” What sounded like an annoyed groan came from her neck, Damien burying his face into the crook of it before pulling away. Something washed over her, realizing that they hadn’t even thought about being in a relationship… were they just friends or something more? It sounded so cliche and cheesy, but she had never really asked and the thought crossed her mind. Damien must have thought she was thinking of something else, because he frowned and sighed.

“I’m sorry you saw that argument with the Colonel. I lost my temper, and it wasn’t right and… He  _ must _  be in shock. The Colonel’s an eccentric; it’s his best quality and his worst. But he is my friend and… so was Mark.” He looked lost, just as he did when he was told Mark had died and it killed her to see him like this. “I know I’m supposed to be a leader in this scenario, but I can’t help but feel lost. I’ve known Mark  _ for years _ , since we were  _ kids _ … and he’s just  _ gone _ ?” She wanted to say something, but words were stuck in her throat as she tried to speak… but nothing came out. She wanted to tell him that she would be there for him. “I… don’t have any answers right now. I just need to be alone… to process all of this. We’ll talk soon, but I need to think.”

She would do anything to find the strength to tell him that she was there, but being too worried that he would deny that she could help him. Marilyn hoped that he would be able to figure things out, but as soon as she tried to follow him, she heard Abe’s voice. Turning around, she saw him hiding in the corner. “Were… were you  _ listening _  to us?!” She hissed, walking over to the older man before smacking his arm, “You don’t just listen in on other people’s conversations, asshole!”

“That isn’t important right now, what is important is that the body? It’s  _ gone _ ! You don’t believe me, but come on, I’ll show you.” He grabbed her wrist and basically dragged her into the house, going on about it being gone and that the murderer had probably disposed of it while he was doing other things. Marilyn scowled at him but suddenly froze when she saw that Mark’s body was… in fact gone.

“No… that’s… it’s impossible. A body can’t just… walk away?” Who would move it? Who would do such a thing? Anxiety built up, eyes wide in fear before she turned to Abe, “What the hell is going on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry if this dragged out and was too repetitive; I'll be sure to break apart from canon in future chapters, I just needed to set the mood and shit. Also, each chapter will be an episode of Who Killed Markiplier, then it'll switch over to the actual story! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please, comments and votes inspire me to further my progress with these types of stories!! Thank you for reading.~


	3. part two ; act one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this doesn't sound too rushed or something. I'm so tired, oops.

Marilyn stared at the space where Mark’s body had been lying, unfocused and unable to hear Abe ranting on about the missing body. “This was most certainly  **NOT** me, someone must’ve hid the body while I was gone! It could have been anyone, besides myself.” She rolled her eyes, grinding her teeth and obviously very angry and upset. No body would ever just get up and leave, right? She was about to speak up when she heard someone walk in and exclaim what the hell had happened, but decided to allow the detective talk about it. The body have been moved, the butler had asked how it could have moved on its own, with Abe saying of course not. Then he paused, “Unless it did, in which case we’ve got way bigger problems than a simple murder.” The chef decided to come in now, so Marilyn groaned softly before undoing her bun and letting her sandy blonde locks drop. She ran her thin fingers through her hair, deciding that she needed to get out of here – that was until she nearly ran right into William and screamed in surprise. She could have fell if it weren’t for him grabbing her arm and bringing her in close.

“Bully! Quite a storm out there, eh, chaps? What are you doing huddled in fear?” He let go of her and moved to the detective before the chef spoke up about having a  _ zombie problem _ . “Ah, Homo necrosis! The MOST dangerous game! Well, if someone needs to put the old lad down again, I’m well up for the privilege.”  _ Again? Privilege?  _ She frowned at the Colonel, eyebrows knitting together in confusion before he tried speaking again. “I’m just saying, I’ve got plenty of… e– experience on the matter!” 

“So do I.” Chef mentioned, making Marilyn even more tense than she already was.

“Yeah, that just raises more questions.”

“Well, I’m off to the grounds to see if I can catch a whiff of the old bag of bones, eh?” William laughed, not even listening when the butler tried to question if they were the same age.

Abe leaned in close, bringing Marilyn to the side and mentioning that he didn’t trust him – but honestly, she was starting to feel like she couldn’t trust anyone but Damien at the moment. “Alright, lock this place down. Secure the front gate. I don’t want anyone in or out of this place until we get to the bottom of this.”

“Locks… won’t keep people from getting out, sir.”

“Locks won’t, but Chef  _ will _ .”

Covering her face, she let her fingers once again dig through her blonde hair before rubbing at her eyes, not matter how much she wished for this to end, it seemed like it would not; she was stuck in an endless loop. Before she could even voice that she needed to go to the bathroom, Abe dragged her along with him and began rambling on about something or other. Marilyn kept quiet until she heard him question if this was all just a ruse, which got her to thinking if it  _ was _ . She knew that Mark had been married before, but she ran off with someone… who was it? Wetting her lips, she’d have to go and ask Damien sometime soon because for some strange reason, she felt like  _ that _ was the reason why Mark had gone quiet. Fuck, if only she had  _ known _ about it back then, she could have been there for her friend instead of spending time in New York.

“ _ Look _ , I’m gonna level with you; you’re my new partner. I’ve been working with him for years. Now I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I know something is wrong. There is a murderer here amongst us, and we need to find him.” Abe seemed to have his head on right, unlike the Colonel, but she still felt odd being around him – she was sure anybody would feel odd being dragged into something like this, especially if they had no experience on the matter at hand. Suddenly he stopped, turning to look at her, “You don’t look like you have a reason to kill him. And if you do…” he let out a laugh, easing her into that sense of unease, “...best to keep your enemies closer, eh?” He winked at her, then turned around so they could continue walking down the stairs; she had been so busy thinking and listening to the detective that she didn’t notice they were walking in circles. “So, the real question we should be asking is: who stood to gain the most from Mark’s death?”

_ No one here would even harm Mark, right?  _ The young woman dug her hands into her pockets, obviously worried…  _ right..? _

“...I discovered that in addition to being stabbed 37 times, he was also poisoned, beaten, strangled, drowned, and shot, in that order. Now, if you ask me, that’s a lot of trouble to go through to knock off one guy, and it sure as shit wasn’t no accident.”  _ Jesus fucking Christ _ , who would have done something like that to Mark? Marilyn felt like throwing up now that she knew this…  _ stabbed, poisoned, beaten, strangled, drowned, and shot. _ “So, we’re gonna have to do the detective-ly thing and go through the victim’s most private and personal possessions.”  _ Mark’s room? _ She stared at the door before hesitantly moving forward and opening the door, being welcomed by a huge mess. Gaping at the mess before her, she allowed Abe to move forward and start rummaging around for clues while also mentioning to watch out for bedroom booby traps.

“Mark wouldn’t put traps in his room, Abe. There’s… no way he would be able to.” She sighed, walking towards a table in the back that caught her interest. As she made her way over, she avoided stepping on anything that could hurt her, especially the broken seat that seemed to have been snapped in half. Mark… couldn’t have possibly been this messy, right? She got to the table and looked at the photos, noticing Damien and William right away; she smiled, running her fingers over the glass before seeing the other three. It was… rather sad. She could practically see the moment things got bad for all three  **(** well, four  **)** of them. Marilyn gently picked up the one set down, showing it off to the detective before looking at it. It was a lone picture of William, obviously, but the glass had been broken…  _ but why _ ?

“ _ You’re quite on the case, aren’t you _ ?”

She screamed out, dropping the photo and grabbing her chest as she glared at the Colonel, “What the fuck!?”

“Say, detective? May I borrow your friend here?” Marilyn looked at Abe, fear already settling in as he agreed to let him.  _ No, you moron, you can’t borrow me!  _ “Take a walk with me. I thought that it was about time that we got to…  _ know _ each other. Someplace far, far away from the prying eyes of uh…” He stopped, making the young woman choke softly as he got into her personal space, “ _ Anyone else. _ ” William growled, making her heart stop before she was gestured to follow forward. They went to the balcony, but as soon as they got outside, they were suddenly on the first floor…  _ but, weren’t we just…  _ Marilyn frowned, paused, and turned to look at the door they had just come through.  _ No, they… we were just on the second floor _ . Before she could think about it further, the Colonel grabbed her arm and made her follow him, all the while he spoke, “Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but… you and the Mayor know each other, right? He’s a good man, that one. We’ve been fast friends for as long as I can remember. Now there came a time when I could have said the same thing about Mark, but…” He trailed off, clenching his hands before looking at her, “Well, best not speak ill of the dead. Oh! The pool hasn’t aged a day!”

Looking over at the pool and nodding in agreement, she turned back to see that he had shed his clothes off and jumped, landing into the pool. Water went everywhere and it would have hit her if she hadn’t jumped away in time. Damien seemed to have heard it, because there he was, turning the corner and asking for the Colonel. He took her hands and gently squeezed them, “I need to speak with him. I may have been a little short at our last encounter.” Marilyn paused, about to say that William was in the pool, but Damien cut her short, “If you do see him, let me know.” He left quickly, before she could get a single word in.

“Bully!”

“Damien–!” She turned to look for him, but he didn’t come back. Sighing softly, she turned and the Colonel was back in his original clothes, making her jump back and hit the wall behind her.

“Oh, life needs a bit of  _ madness, _ eh, chap? Now, what were we talking about? Oh, yes! The grisly business inside. Well, I’m sure that I’m not the first to say that our host had a great deal of enemies as of late. My prying eye might suspect that the people who worked him might have reason to stab him in the back… God knows he’s a tough son of a bitch to work for.” Mark had been an asshole every so often whenever she was around him, but it could have been because of the stress of wanting to become an actor. She couldn’t honestly  _ see _ him as being selfish… unless he had changed that much. William soon pointed out the golf course and ran down the steps in a hurried, excited manner, making her smile warmly; he was… almost like a child, in a way. She turned and saw Damien, who mention he had been sure he heard his friend.

“Damn, I thought I heard him… no matter. Would you accompany me, Marilyn? There’s something that I would… very much like to discuss with you.” Once again, their fingers intertwined with one another and they began to walk. Things were going crazy and it was making the woman nervous, but then again, she should get used to it… that’s what a District Attorney did, she’d be faced with this sort of anxiety on a daily basis. “Now, I know that you’ve been assisting our  _ intrepid  _ detective with his investigation, but… I have to bring some concerns of mine to the forefront. If we look at this situation logically, we can only assume that the killer who struck down our dear friend Mark was  _ with us _ last night.”

“Damien…” He shook his head, which in turn made her silence herself.

“And… while I would stake my life on the innocence of the Colonel or yourself, can we really say the same for our beloved detective? Or worse yet, mayhaps our counting skills aren’t as good as we assume them to be. And mayhaps… in the shadows of this manor, unseen to any of us, lay hidden… a murderer–” A sudden gunshot separated them both, making Marilyn tense at the sound before they quickly rushed inside to see the Colonel and the Detective pointing their guns at one another.

“What the hell is going on?!”

Abe kept his gun directed towards William, Marilyn almost wincing at the sight of the weapons, “I don’t know what you’re playing at but you better lower your weapon, you murderer!”

“I bloody well won’t, you’re the one that assaulted me! For all I know,  _ you _ could be the murderer!”

The sandy blonde took a step forward, her ocean blue eyes focused on the weapons, “Listen, both of you! This isn’t the time or place to be brandishing weapons and throwing insults at one another,  _ please _ , both of you!” The Chef came in, stumbling once he too saw the weapons. Abe pointed his gun at William once more before yelling at him to drop his weapon. Someone inside of the room, perhaps the Butler, cried out about Mark’s prized vase, but everyone was too set on other matters to really  _ care _ .

Damien spoke up, “Everyone, please! I know we’re all on edge, but can’t we resolve this amicably?”

“On edge?! This  **PSYCHO** tried to  **SHOOT ME** !”

“That’s a bold-faced lie! I was  _ merely _ doing some light target practice!” Benjamin exclaimed about it being  _ inside _ , hitting William with a feather duster before he glared, “Yes, I couldn’t go on the grounds now with that bloody chef in my way, could I?”

“You’re damn right! You should’ve remembered that, Private! Besides, you’re not my boss anymore!”

“ _ It’s Colonel now. _ ” Marilyn stepped in between the Chef and William, staring at him and trying to tell him to back off. Instead, Abe decided to once again open up his damn mouth.

“Enough of this horseshit! You knew I was onto you and you were trying to whack me off before I could finger you as the murderer!”

“I will  _ not _ be called a murderer in my own  _ home _ !” William looked like he was about to pull the trigger, but Marilyn grabbed his shoulder and hissed at him to stop. Suddenly, someone burst through the front door, shouting  _ stop! _ before everyone turned to her. The District Attorney blinked, mouth agape as she stared at her.

“Celine?”


End file.
